Samuel Oak: Pokemon Journey
by xXHeart of GoldXx
Summary: Before Ash and his friends and even before Team Rocket existed, Samuel Oak started out his journey with Charmander and his friend, Zinnia. Rating may go up.  Accepting OCs. Read author's note for details at the bottom of the chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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><p>Samuel Oak woke up one morning at around five because he was excited to leave on his Pokemon Journey. He had already decided on the Pokemon he wanted-a Charmander. There was just something about Charmander that he had liked since he was about five years old. Now that he was twelve, he was allowed to get a Pokemon. He had been ready to leave home for about two years now. Sam had decided if he ever distributed Pokemon, he would lower the age for trainers to start out. But for now, he was ecstatic to leave on his Pokemon journey.<p>

He had already packed up his backpack the night before, and practiced opening and closing the Pokeball made from apricorns. He double checked his backpack to make sure he had everything. He immediately got dressed as fast as he could and raced down the stairs. He put his shoes on and stared at the clock. It was only five thirty. He would have to wait until seven to go to the small lab on the east side of Pallet Town to get his new Charmander. But he planned to leave early so that he could get that Charmander and not some other Pokemon. "What are you doing up so early, Sammy?" His mother entered the kitchen where he sat, staring at the clock on the wall.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?" He smiled up at his mother who was in her robe and slippers. She yawned before responding to his question.

"Yes, you did. But I know you've been excited for the past few days." She sat down next to him at the island in the kitchen.

"Sorry." Sam said and then looked back at the clock on the wall, watching the second hand tick slowly.

"Staring at the clock will just make time go by slower." His mother said and stood up to make herself some coffee. "Did you eat any breakfast?"

"No I didn't." Sam said. He hadn't even felt hungry when he woke up, but now that she mentioned it, he could feel the emptiness in his stomach.

"Pancakes sound good?"

"Is there enough time?" Sam panicked.

"Of course there is." His mother smiled and began to make him breakfast. Sam watched his mother make the pancakes, adding the flour, eggs, and butter and some milk from the glass bottle. He noticed that she used the last of the milk for the week. He didn't want to say anything because he knew his mother wouldn't care that there wouldn't be any milk left. "So I heard that your friend…what was it…Zinnia will be leaving on a journey today."

"Please," Sam said after taking a sip of his orange juice. "I doubt she'll even make it to the lab in time. Besides, girls aren't supposed to go on Pokemon journeys."

"Well said son." His father entered the kitchen taking a seat next to his son. "If I had a daughter, I wouldn't let her leave on a journey. It's too dangerous if you ask me."

"Well, I think it's a good thing that she's going to be a Pokemon trainer. Girls need to be more proactive these days." His mother said.

"Sorry mom. I guess if anyone could do it, it's Zinnia." Sam said and began to eat his pancakes after drenching them with syrup.

"Easy on the syrup sweetie. The last thing you need is a stomach ache."

"So son, what Pokemon are you going to choose?" His father asked in between bites.

"Charmander." Sam said, putting his fork down to talk about his journey. "And once I leave on my journey, I'm going to catch a whole bunch of Pokemon, you'll see."

"Just remember you can only have six with you at a time, so choose wisely." His mother said and sat down with her family, slowly drinking her coffee.

"Yeah that's true." Sam said. "But I'll catch a team of awesome Pokemon and raise them to beat all of the gym leaders in the Kanto region and then I'll go onto the Pokemon League and beat the champion Neal. You'll see."

"I'm sure you will, Sammy." His mother smiled. "But even if you don't win, you will always be mommy's little butterscotch."

"Mom!" Sammy exclaimed. "Don't call me that!"

"Oh, would you look at the time. You'll want to leave now if you want to get there bright and early." His mother said. Before he departed from home, he said good bye to his parents and gave them one last hug before he'd leave. He promised that he'd be a great Pokemon master someday and he'll be back before they knew it. Of course, his emotional mother cried some happy tears when he left home.

Sam walked on the path to the small lab that distributed Pokemon. It would be a twenty minute walk from his house, but that didn't bother him. He was too excited. He thought about the Charmander and smiled. He would really be the best Pokemon Trainer with the fire type. "Hey, wait up Sammy!" He heard a voice shout after him. He looked behind him and saw it was Zinnia running to catch up after him. He stopped so they could walk together. "I can't believe we get to leave on our journey today! Isn't it so exciting?"

"Of course it is! I can't wait to get my Charmander!" He exclaimed.

"I know, I know. You've been saying that all week." Zinnia said.

"Well, Charmanders are cool."

"Please, you just want a Charizard." She giggled.

"Which Pokemon do you want?" Sam asked, not wanting to start a fight with her.

"Umm, I think I want Squirtle."

"You think? You have to know these things." He countered.

"Hey, it depends which one I bond with. Unlike you, I don't decide based on looks or their evolved forms. I want a Pokemon that I can have a connection with." Zinnia explained.

"I never thought of it like that." Sam said and continued to walk towards the small laboratory. He saw it in the distance and made a run for it, forgetting about his companion.

"Hey Sammy you better wait for me!" She yelled and ran after him. She easily caught up to him.

"You're a fast runner for a girl." He laughed.

"Then that must mean you're a slow runner for a boy." She smirked and passed him, beating him to the door. Unlike most girls, Zinnia wore shorts that fell just above her knees with a simple t-shirt. She wore her long dark indigo hair in a ponytail. She always wore earrings though along with a pink bracelet, showing that she still had a girly side to her. Zinnia was a major tomboy. Ever since Sam could remember, she had always preferred to run around and get dirty playing in the mud with boys instead of playing in fake kitchens or sewing quilts. That was why he was so comfortable around her. She was easygoing, but competitive. Sam couldn't remember the last time he even saw her in a dress.

"Well hello there." Professor Beachwood said and let in the two future Pokemon Trainers. He was old, probably in his sixties. He was well respected and focused his studies on the relationships formed between Pokemon and their trainers. Sam had read almost every one of his books.

"Hi I'm Sam and this is Zinnia." He introduced himself to the Professor.

"Very well. Come on in you two. You're here a bit early, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I really want Charmander so I thought that I'd get here before anyone else could take it." Sam explained as he was taken into the room with the small Pokemon that were wandering about.

"Well, here's Charmander." Beachwood said and smiled. Sam could tell that this would be the Pokemon he would raise and battle with. And besides, it seemed to like him anyway.

"You want to come with me on my journey, Charmander?" He knelt down on one knee.

"Char char!" It said happily and jumped in his arms. He turned over to Zinnia who was playing with Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

"Which one are you going to choose, Zinnia?" Sam asked.

"Oh, you were looking to choose a starter Pokemon too?" Beachwood asked with a surprised look on his face. "I'm sorry, but only boys can legally receive a starter Pokemon. Too many liabilities come with a girl."

"What do you mean?" Zinnia stood up and glared at him.

"Well, when girls go on journeys, they tend to get raped or hurt and I'd be the one who ends up getting sued by the parents." The professor explained.

"So she can't get a Pokemon from you?" Sam asked, very surprised.

"No she can't. I'm sorry, but those are the rules."

"That's so not fair!" Zinnia stomped her foot on the ground.

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><p>The two were kicked out of the lab after Zinnia's temper tantrum. It was understandable, because it wasn't fair that she couldn't get a starter Pokemon of her own. He looked down at Charmander and wished that Zinnia actually had a Squirtle or Bulbasaur walking beside her. He was actually looking forward to her receiving a Pokemon because they could battle together. She continued to walk with him to the edge of Pallet Town before stepping into Route One. "This is so not fair." She said. "Just because I don't have something dangling between my legs, I don't get a Pokemon. I hate Professor Beachwood, that sexist pig." She kicked a rock out of frustration. Sam didn't like seeing her like this. She was actually crying, something he thought she was incapable of.<p>

"Yeah, it really isn't fair." He commented and brought her into a hug with one arm. He broke it after an awkward thirty seconds.

"Now I guess I have to go back home and while you're champion and travelling around the world, I'll probably be a housewife and have a dozen children by then." She sighed as she sat down on a large boulder. "See enough and travel enough for the both of us, okay?"

"Not okay." Sam said with a serious face.

"What are you getting at?" She asked him.

"I want you to come travel with me." He offered.

"But I don't have a Pokemon." She said.

"Just because you don't have a Pokemon doesn't mean that you can't travel around the region." Sam said.

"I guess you're right." She wiped away her tears. He gave her his hand, which she took, and helped her up. "Look at me." She laughed. "I probably look ridiculous."

"That you do my friend." He smirked at her. "Come on, let's start this journey together!"

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><p>So should I continue?<p>

If I do, I will be accepting some OCs. I need a rival for Sam. Please include who they are related to from the original series in Ash's time (if they are, or the rival can be totally your own) in your description, age, starter Pokemon, other Pokemon, and so forth. Any other OCs would be appreciated, just say what you want them to be. An example would be a gym leader or some random newbie trainer. Thanks for reading :D

Oh and sorry of this chapter seems a bit rushed. The rest will be much better. I just wanted to know if this should be a chapter story.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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><p>"I think we should stop for lunch." Sam said, his stomach complaining about the lack of food despite the filling breakfast he had eaten. The sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, a perfect day to start out on a Pokemon journey.<p>

"Oh, stop complaining already. You should want to keep on going. It's your first day travelling after all." Zinnia pointed out. She heard his stomach growl and sighed. "Fine, we'll stop." She said. The two found a nice clearing and sat down for lunch.

"What do we eat?" He asked her.

"You mean you didn't pack any food?" She asked him in disbelief.

"Not anything that I can make on my own." He said taking out various ingredients.

"You're so helpless." She said and playfully slapped his arm. "You're so lucky that I can cook."

"You?" Sam smirked.

"I'm a girl after all. My mother was practically training me to be a housewife, unfortunately." She said and began to put something together. "Could you go get some wood and start a fire?"

"Of course, come on Charmander." He said and led them into an area dense with trees with hopes to find some firewood. On his way, he had his Charmander battle some Rattata to gain experience points. "Okay, enough with battling," Sam said, "Let's go find some firewood before Zinnia gets cranky."

"Char!" His Charmander agreed. As Sam picked up some branches and sticks, he had to laugh at his Charmander getting small little twigs.

Meanwhile, Zinnia began to chop up some fresh carrots Sam's mom must have packed, followed by peeling the potatoes. She put them into a pot and sat on a fallen log, waiting for Sam to come back with the firewood. Until he got back, she just admired the beautiful day, just watching the few clouds present in the sky blow on by. She was glad that Sam had invited her to accompany him on his journey. Most boys his age wouldn't even consider it. "Hey," A girl with black hair pulled back into a bun approached her alongside her Meganium. Zinnia sat up, acknowledging the girl approaching her.

"Hi." Zinnia said with a smile.

"I'm Daisy and this is Meganium." She smiled back at Zinnia and sat down next to her.

"I'm Zinnia." She greeted the two.

"So what brings you here?" Daisy asked her.

"I'm on a Pokemon journey with my friend, Sam. I sent him to go get some firewood so I can make something with the food he brought." Zinnia explained.

"Oh, well, what else are you up to?"

"Nothing really. I'm just waiting to cook."

"Do you like cooking?" Daisy asked her.

"Not really, but if Sammy cooked he'd find a way to burn water. And with the Charmander he has, it's pretty much guaranteed."

"I guess boys will be boys." Daisy laughed. "Anyway, which Pokemon did you choose as your starter?" Zinnia looked down at the ground, not meeting the girl's emerald green eyes. She didn't really know what to say. It was pretty embarrassing to be on a Pokemon journey without a Pokemon.

"I'm back!" Sam announced. The two girls stood up and helped Charmander and Sam put down the firewood. "Who's this?"

"This is Daisy and her Meganium. Daisy, this is Sam and Charmander." Zinnia introduced them.

"Nice to meet you both." Sam smiled. Charmander started a fire and Zinnia began to cook lunch.

"You should stay for lunch, Daisy." Zinnia suggested as she stirred the soup she was making.

"Thanks!" She said and made herself comfortable on the log. "So did you guys just leave on your journey today?"

"Yeah we did!" Sam said enthusiastically. Zinnia began to pass out bowls of the soup she made.

"So you guys are like only twelve?"

"Is that a problem?" Sam asked as he ate heartily.

"This is very good Zinnia!" Daisy ignored Sam's question.

"I'm glad you like it." She replied and put out some Pokemon food for Charmander and Meganium. Daisy let her other Pokemon out from their apricorn Pokeballs. A Breloom, Bulbasaur,Sunflora, and Weepinbell came out and began to eat the food Daisy provided for them. She thought that Sam's Charmander was cute when it began conversing with her Bulbasaur who was new to her team. She began to wonder about Zinnia. She didn't let her Pokemon out yet. She wanted to say something, but decided it wasn't her business. Who was she to tell her how to raise her Pokemon? She began to think the girl didn't even have one, but why? Who would go on a Pokemon journey without a Pokemon? She decided not to bring it up.

"Hey Daisy, let's have a Pokemon battle!" Sam brought her out of her thoughts.

"Sam, are you insane? Even though Charmander's a fire type, there's no way he could even defeat all of her Pokemon." Zinnia exclaimed, thinking that Sam wasn't using his head which was unusual for him.

"Good point."

"How about you battle my Bulbasaur?" Daisy suggested. "I just caught it a few days ago and I'm sure that your Charmander is about the same level."

"I'm ready when you are!" Sam chimed.

"Let's do this!" Daisy exclaimed.

"Just wait a minute." Zinnia said. "I made lunch. Sam, you have to wash the dishes."

"Harsh." He said.

"How about you do your fair share?" Zinnia said. "Now hop to it!"

"Yes ma'am!" Sam saluted and got to work on the dishes, washing them in the nearby stream. Charmander helped by drying the dishes with a dish rag. Daisy's Bulbasaur helped by stacking up the dishes.

"You already have him whipped. I'm impressed." Daisy examined.

"What are you talking about?" Zinnia asked.

"It's a good thing. Most guys think it's a girl's job to clean up. But you've got him washing dishes. I don't think I've ever seen a man wash dishes before." Daisy explained.

"Please, he isn't a man. He's just a boy." Her statement was proved when he and the two Pokemon were playfully splashing each other, but was careful not to hit Charmander's flame.

"Anyway, good thing you got him while he was young before the two of you get married."

"Married?" Zinnia said, her cheeks turning red. "The two of us will never, ever get married."

"Sorry, before you have babies."

"Please, I am not ever going to settle down. I actually enjoy my life and want to travel around as much as I can. Besides, Sam and I will never get married. I mean, just look at his hair!" The two girls laughed so hard they fell off the log.

"What's going on over here?" Sam asked and began to put away the dishes.

"Nothing." Zinnia said, catching her breath.

"Okay, so I did the dishes." Sam said. "Now let's have that battle!"

"All right, but you'll probably lose." Daisy shrugged.

"Just try your best." Sam dared. The two of them stood multiple feet apart. Charmander and Bulbasaur stood three feet away from their trainers. "Lady's first." He said.

"Such the gentleman. Zinnia, you sure know how to pick 'em!" Sam's face went red. He knew what she was talking about. But there was no way that he would ever see someone like Zinnia as a future girlfriend. She was too tomboyish for him. "Bulbasaur, tackle it!"

"Bulba!" It responded and charged at Charmander.

"Dodge and counter with scratch!" He commanded.

"Jump up!" Daisy ordered. His Charmander jumped up in the air, but Bulbasaur jumped too and landed the tack attack.

"Charmander!" He shouted. "Ember!" Bulbasaur stood its ground and endured the super effective hit.

"Use vine whip and slam Charmander onto the ground!" Bulbasaur obeyed its trainer. Dust kicked up after the attack. Both trainers couldn't see what happened until it cleared.

"Charmander is unable to battle!" Zinnia judged. "Bulbasaur wins!"

"All right Bulbasaur!" Daisy cheered and spun around with her Pokemon.

"It's all right, Charmander. You did your best." Sam smiled and praised his Pokemon, lifting it up and walking over to Daisy.

"Well, that was incredibly easy." Daisy bragged. "But it was a good first battle."

"Thanks." Sam said.

"Battle me once you're stronger. I won't accept a challenge from you for quite some time."

"How many badges do you have?" He asked, interested.

"I have four right now."

"But how come you're only on Route One?"

"I wanted to visit Professor Beachwood. His research is really great." Daisy explained.

"Yeah it is. His books are the only books I'll read." Sam laughed.

"I don't really like Beachwood." Zinnia said, still mad about what had happened earlier that morning.

"Who's your favorite Pokemon researcher?" Daisy asked.

I'd have to say Willow. I like how she is involved with Pokemon directly and goes out into the fields to study Pokemon habitats. Beachwood just looks at his computer all day." Zinnia explained as she pet Meganium's head.

"I guess you do have a point." Sam said, but he knew the real reason why she didn't like Beachwood.

"Anyway, let's have a battle." Daisy said, looking directly at Zinnia. She had to see why this girl didn't have any Pokemon, or if she even had any. The whole situation was confusing to her. "You can battle my Bellossom."

"I can't." Zinnia said. "I don't have any Pokemon."

"I knew it!" Exclaimed Daisy. "But why are you even on a Pokemon journey without a Pokemon?"

"Stupid Beachwood wouldn't give me one." She said, looking at the ground.

"Why not?" Daisy asked.

"It's because I'm a girl."

"But that doesn't make any sense."

"Tell me about it. He said that my dad would sue him if something bad happened to me. Apparently, he doesn't give Pokemon out to girls. Sam just asked if I wanted to come along on his journey. I accepted because even if I can't have a Pokemon, I at least want to travel." She explained.

"That's ridiculous! I can't believe Beachwood is that shallow!" Daisy yelled. "I hate men who look down at us girls. I hope that everything changes in the future."

"Me too." Zinnia agreed.

"Me three!" Sam chimed, but the two girls kind of ignored his comment.

"Where did you get your starter Pokemon? Maybe I could get it there." Zinnia asked.

"Oh, my father caught Chikorita for me two years ago. We don't live anywhere near where they give out starter Pokemon." Daisy explained. Zinnia didn't have anything to say to that. She wished her father caught one for her, she had even asked about a year ago.

"I wish my dad caught me one, but he said I have to be like everyone else and get one from Beachwood myself. He's all about equality and stuff, so he urged me to go on my own Pokemon journey like my brother did." Zinnia explained. "My mother didn't want me to go because she's the complete opposite and thinks the woman's place is in the home."

"Wow, I thought it would have been the opposite." Daisy laughed.

"Yeah her parents are kind of weird. But whose isn't?" Sam added.

"Sorry to cut this short, but I want to get to Pallet before it gets dark." Daisy said.

"Next time we meet I'm gonna be stronger, you'll see!" Sam exclaimed.

"Charmander!" His Charmander said excitedly. Daisy had returned her Pokemon back into their balls.

"Oh, we'll see about that." Daisy smirked. "Before I go, I want to give you this Zinnia." She handed the younger girl an apricorn Pokeball. "This way you can like, catch a Pokemon." Zinnia smiled and gave a single nod. Sam and Zinnia began to head towards Viridian City, while Daisy headed in the opposite direction to Pallet Town.

"Well Sammy, it seems like you managed to get the only female Pokemon Trainer as a rival." Zinnia joked.

"Looks like it." Sam said. "How long until we reach Viridian?"

"After sunset if we keep up the pace." Zinnia said.

"How long after sunset?"

"We'd get to the Pokemon Center at around midnight." Zinnia said while studying her map.

"Midnight!"

"Calm down, we have little Charmander's flame so we won't be walking in the dark." Zinnia said. And with that said, the Pokemon Trainer and possibly soon to be Pokemon Trainer continue to walk down Route One towards their destination.

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><p>I will be accepting OCs throughout the story!<br>Reviews are always appreciated

And a special thanks to DaisyPearl for the character Daisy :D


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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><p>Sam walked in silence next to Zinnia. He carried his sleeping Charmander in his arms. His Charmander didn't seem to enjoy the apricorn ball too much, but he'd have to get used to it eventually. For now though, Sam didn't want to disturb the little guy. He had battled a few more wild Pokemon today on the way. He made sure to stay close to Zinnia because he had heard what happens to girls. But he didn't know whether or not those stories were true. His new rival, Daisy, had seemed perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But then again, she did have some pretty strong Pokemon. Zinnia, however, didn't have any. And if something bad happened to her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.<p>

Sam looked into the sky and saw that the moon was out along with multiple stars that helped to light up the route. When he looked up, he also saw a large bird Pokemon flying above, up in the sky. "Zinnia, look!" He exclaimed, pointing at the sky. There were two large bird Pokemon now, one was bigger than the other, but they both looked at least nine feet tall.

"What are they?" The two had stopped walking and watched in awe as the two birds flew higher and higher up into the sky. Zinnia reached into her bag without looking with her free hand and grabbed her camera. She took a few shots of them and then put her camera down. It was a new kind of camera, it wasn't a Polaroid. This one could be plugged into a computer. He assumed the Pokemon center must have one.

"Not sure." Sam whispered even though he knew that the two Pokemon couldn't hear him. Eventually, they disappeared. The two looked at each other. "You got some pictures?"

"I did." Zinnia said. "Come on, we should hurry up and get to the Pokemon Center. I want to check these out." Sam nodded and the two started to run. Eventually, they got to Viridian City. It wasn't really that busy at this time of night, so they were basically the only ones wandering the street. Zinnia led them to the Pokemon Center. When they walked in, they were surprised Nurse Joy was still awake. The clock on the wall read eleven forty at night.

"What are you two still doing up?" Nurse Joy questioned.

"Sorry, we just wanted to get to Viridian City within a day to make good time." Sam apologized.

"Would you mind if I uploaded some pictures up on the computer?" Zinnia asked, referring to the big clunky white things on the side.

"Sure, but it takes quite a while. Just leave it in overnight and they should be uploaded by the morning." Nurse Joy said. "After you plug in your camera, get to bed."

"Yes ma'am." The two said and rushed over to the computer. Zinnia reached into her bag and took out the cable. She inserted it into the computer and then plugged her camera into it. Using the mouse, she clicked on the capital green letters that read upload. She clicked it then turned around to Sam.

"Come on, let's go to bed." Zinnia said.

"You two don't plan on sharing the same room, are you?" Nurse Joy asked in a motherly tone. "And miss, are you even a Pokemon Trainer?"

"Well we were." Sam said.

"No, I'm not yet. But I will be soon I think." Zinnia smiled, hoping to use her innocence to an advantage while she still could.

"There is only one room left, so I guess you two have to share a room. But next time, you will have to find another place to stay because only trainers are allowed here." Nurse Joy said.

"Oh, thank you so much! I swear, we'll only be here for tonight."

"Yeah, we're leaving tomorrow morning." Sam backed her up.

"Good night you two, and get some sleep." Joy left them to themselves. The two entered the only one unoccupied room.

"How can there be only one bed?" Sam whispered. Zinnia began to put her pajamas on and change out of her clothes while his back was turned. She laughed to herself as he just stood there. She climbed into the bed and got comfortable, along with Charmander who had woken up and jumped onto the other side. "You've got to be kidding me." Sam said. Zinnia kept her eyes shut as he changed into his own pajamas.

"You snooze you lose." She said. Charmander laughed at his unfortunate trainer.

"Stop it, Charmander!" Sam said. "Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"What do you think, Charmander? Should we give him some room?" Charmander nodded and moved to the bottom of the bed so that he trainer could sleep in the appropriate spot. Sam climbed into bed. "Behave yourself, boy." She said to him when he accidently touched her leg with his foot.

"My bad." Sam's face turned beat red. He was glad the lights were out so she couldn't see him. He didn't know when, but he knew that sleep overcame him quite quickly that night.

The next morning, Sam woke up and saw that Zinnia and Charmander were gone. He assumed they woke up earlier and didn't feel like waking him up. He was glad they didn't because he barely slept the night before due to his excitement. He got up and took a long shower because he didn't know how long it would take to go through Viridian Forest. Zinnia was the one with the map and she was good with timing things. Sam on the other hand, didn't read maps too well and he was either running late or early, depending on the day.

After putting his clothes on and brushing his medium brown hair, Sam went into the main area of the Pokemon center. He saw that Zinnia was at the computer where she left her camera, probably analyzing the pictures. He saw that Charmander sat next to her, munching on some Pokemon food. "Hey, can you actually see anything in the pictures?" He asked.

"Now I can. I was able to enhance it. It's a bit blurry, but it can kind of be made out. That one looks to be orange, maybe red, and the other is like white with some blue. I've never seen anything like them before." Zinnia said, typing away and doing things that boggled Sam's mind.

"Technology is overrated." He said as he took out a pencil and a sketchbook.

"Simply drawing things doesn't make them true. But if you take pictures, now that's proof." Zinnia stated.

"Yeah right. You could probably manipulate pictures and put anything in them." Sam rolled his eyes.

"That may be true, but anyone with eyes can tell if it's fake or not and this definitely doesn't look fake."

"Whatever you say." Sam said as he put together a quick sketch of the two bird Pokemon.

"Shouldn't you go register, Mr. Pokemon Trainer?" She remarked, her eyes not leaving the screen. "By the time you're done, I should be finished as well."

"Okay." Sam said and finished up his sketch before going over to Nurse Joy. He decided that he'd add in the details later. He walked over to Nurse Joy and got the paperwork that he had to fill out. It took him about ten minutes before it was all completed. He thought it was insane how many times he had to check off that he never committed any crimes. He handed the completed paperwork to Nurse Joy. She read over the information and signed off on it. She entered the data very quickly onto one of the computers. She took a picture of him and added it all onto an identification card. She printed it out and then put it into a clunky machine that laminated it. When it was all set and done, Zinnia and Charmander were waiting for him. "That took forever." He complained.

"Try forty minutes." Zinnia corrected as they left the Pokemon Center. They began walking towards Viridian Forest.

"I hate technology."

"Well I on the other hand love it. In about ten or twenty years from now, or no, when we're like really old, technology is going to go really far. It'll be so advanced we won't be able to imagine it." Zinnia said.

"Well, I don't know about that." Sam paused. "You think there will be something so that we can have more than six Pokemon without returning home every time we want new Pokemon?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. Computers are probably going to be everywhere sooner or later. You should really learn how to use them."

"Please, I'm just going to be a Pokemon master. I won't really need a computer."

"You never know, Sammy." Zinnia said as they entered Viridian Forest.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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><p>Sam and Zinnia had just finished eating lunch in the middle of Viridian Forest. So, Sam was doing the dishes in a nearby creak that they had found. Charmander was drying them again. He didn't really know what Zinnia was doing; she probably found this a good time to use the bathroom unlike him who just went on a tree as he pleased as they traveled down the path. Well, there wasn't really a path anymore. After Route Two ended, there wasn't a clearing of a path to be seen. He figured as long as he had Zinnia, he'd be fine. He always had to laugh at the thought of what his old friend from Pallet Town had said: "Girls aren't competent unless it involves making sandwiches." Yup, Sam had punched him in the face for that. Getting grounded for two weeks was totally worth it.<p>

Zinnia kept glancing down at her map to make sure that they didn't get lost, but it was bothering Sam that she wasn't admiring the forest with the little Caterpie and Weedle inching along the ground. "Why don't you stop looking at that map and look at what's around you for once."

"I'm sorry," Zinnia said sarcastically. "Would you rather have us get lost?"

"Maybe getting lost would be fun." Sam shrugged.

"Oh yes. Being stuck in a forest for two months sounds like a blast." She rolled her eyes at him. Sam continued to follow her. He decided to keep his mouth shut because she didn't seem all too happy. But after a few minutes, curiosity got the best of him.

"Hey, Zinnia?" He said to get her attention.

"What is it?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

"How come you're so angry?"

"Maybe it's because I'm on a Pokemon journey without a Pokemon and since I'm a girl, I can't really amount to anything in the field I want to get into." She snapped.

"But what about that apricorn ball Daisy gave you?" He asked calmly.

"What good is it if I can't even weaken a Pokemon first? It's impossible to catch a Pokemon at full health."

"Oh." Sam said and didn't want to say anymore. She'd get way too angry if he kept on talking. He knew her anger was covering the fact that she was upset about the whole ordeal. He saw in the corner of his eye something shuffling in the bushes. He figured since Zinnia was looking at the map, he could go get that Pokemon and maybe capture it for her. He smiled when he thought of his plan. He nudged Charmander and the two quietly went off route to go battle a Pokemon in the bushes.

Sam studied the Pokemon: it was yellow with brown stripes on its back. The tips of its ears were black, and it had a lightning bolt tail. When the small creature turned around to face Sam, he noted two red circles on its cheeks. Sam knew it was a Pikachu; he was quite skilled at drawing them. All of a sudden, the Pikachu twitched its ears and ran off deeper into the forest. Without thinking, Sam ran after the Pikachu along with Charmander. "Hey, wait Pikachu!" He shouted. "Charmander, slow it down with Ember!"

"Chaaaar!" Charmander cried and sent the attack its way. However, the Pikachu quickly dodged it and used a thundershock attack on Charmander.

"Charmander!" Sam called out and knelt down next to it, making sure it was okay. Charmander immediately got up and ran after it. Sam stood up and followed the two Pokemon through the forest. The Pikachu climbed up in a tree and sat on a branch, looking down at the two, waiting for their next move.

"Trying to catch that Pikachu up there?" A teenage boy asked. Sam turned towards him and nodded. His appearance was rather shocking. He wore all black, but had a yellow hat turned backwards and a touch of yellow on his jacket that he wore. His hair was long and black and his upper lip had a mustache just starting to form. His muscles were pretty big for someone of his age.

"How'd you know?" Sam spoke up.

"I saw you chasing after it. Let me tell you, Pikachu are very fast." He said.

"Yeah. I didn't expect to even see one here. I heard they're pretty rare in this forest." Sam said.

"They sure are. But I caught my Raichu here when it was just a little Pikachu." The boy paused. "By the way, I'm Lee Fletcher."

"I'm Sam Oak." He introduced himself. "So, are Pikachu any good? I've never really studied them."

"They're fast, but not the strongest. But overall, they're pretty good Pokemon for someone just starting out on their journey."

"Perfect." Sam said.

"What are you waiting for? Attack it before it runs away." Lee suggested.

"Charmander can't hit it. It's too fast."

"Try using a smokescreen."

"You must be a good trainer to think of that." Sam joked.

"I've been around." Lee laughed. "Now go for it!"

"Right." Sam nodded. "Okay, Charmander smokescreen!" Charmander listened and the Pikachu began to cough. "Scratch it!"

"Char-man-der!" Charmander said as it scratched the Pikachu.

"Smokescreen before it attacks back!"

"Chaaar!"

"Good, now get away from it and use ember." Charmander jumped off of the tree and used an ember attack. The Pikachu was weakened, so Sam got his apricorn ball ready. He immediately threw it at the Pikachu. The ball shook, but stopped after about a minute, indicating Pikachu was caught. "All right I just caught a Pikachu!" Sam exclaimed, holding the apricorn with his arm extended.

"Charmander!" He copied his trainer's pose.

"It's an awesome feeling, isn't it? Catching your first Pokemon, I mean." Lee said.

"Yeah it does. But this isn't for me." Sam said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to give this Pikachu to my friend Zinnia. Beachwood wouldn't give her a Pokemon, so when I saw this Pikachu, I knew it would be perfect."

"I always thought a Pikachu would be a great starter Pokemon."

"Really?"

"It's a bit challenging, but once you get used to it, Pikachu's a great Pokemon."

"I was hoping it would be." Sam said and put the ball in his backpack for safekeeping. He looked at his whereabouts and wondered where he was. He didn't see the faint outline of the narrow path he had been traveling on. That, and he didn't have a map with him.

"You all right? You seem lost." Lee observed.

"I kind of am." Sam admitted. "You see, I was traveling with my friend, the one who I was going to give the Pikachu to. I seemed to have wandered off father than I planned to."

"You mean that this girl has no idea where you are? And you left her alone in the forest?" Lee exclaimed.

"Yeah. But Zinnia can take care of herself. Knowing her, she noticed I was gone and probably is still traveling the right way."

"You sure about that? Because I know how to get out of here." Lee said.

"Great! She's probably waiting for me at the end."

"Well, I sure hope so. I'd hate to leave a girl without a Pokemon in a place like this."

"Like I said," Sam said as he followed Lee out of the forest, "She can take care of herself. Me on the other hand…" The two boys laughed as they made their way towards the exit of the forest. "Oh hey, want to see a picture I drew?"

"Sure." Lee said as Sam took out his sketch book. "Hey this is really good."

"Not yet. I didn't add the details. But, Zinnia and I, we saw these two bird Pokemon flying a few nights ago. I don't really know what they are, but aren't they something?"

"Those birds look familiar…I think I've seen them in a book. No one knows if they're real or not though. Personally, I think that they're just myths." Lee said as he handed back the sketchpad to Sam.

"Well, I think they're real because I saw them. And I have this picture to prove it." Sam said.

"It's just a drawing; a really good one, but I can't take it seriously. But now if you took a picture then I'd believe it."

"Zinnia one, me zero."

"Huh?"

"Oh nothing. The other morning we had a little mini debate about the most believable picture. I guess technology wins this time." Sam sighed.

"It usually does." Lee said. "Hey look, there's the exit!" The two boys ran to the end of Viridian Forest.

"Hey where's Zinnia?" Sam panicked. "I swear she'd come this way!" All of a sudden, it began to rain terribly hard, along with some thunder and visible lightning in the distance. Sam quickly returned Charmander into his apricorn ball.

"We can't wait for her here!" Lee shouted over the thunder. "Let's get to the Pokemon Center in Pewter!"

"But I can't just leave her out here!" Sam shouted back.

"Come on!" Lee tugged his arm roughly and began leading him towards Pewter.

"I can't just leave her out here!"

"Like you said, she can take care of herself! Now let's not be stupid and go!" Lee urged. Suddenly, lightning struck a tree close by and started a fire.

"I can't just leave her out there!" Sam said. "I'm going to go find her. Go to the Pokemon Center or something. Maybe I'll catch up with you later!" He began to run back through the forest blindly with only one thing on his mind; he must find Zinnia!

As he ran, he heard a scream. "Zinnia!" He shouted. She screamed again, so he continued to follow it. "Where are you?" He cupped his hands to amplify his shouts.

"Sam?" Zinnia shouted. "I'm over here!" Sam followed her voice until he saw her on the ground with tons of Beedrill swarming around her. They looked like they were attacking her. He couldn't use Charmander because of the rain, and the Pikachu was too weak to take on that many Beedrill from the earlier battle against his Charmander. So, he did the next best thing and jumped in front of her, so that the Beedrill attacked him instead of her. He held her against his body so that she wouldn't be hit if the Beedrill decided to attack. All of a sudden, a thunderbolt hit all of the Beedrill. The swarm fled immediately, unless they were amongst the few that fainted. Sam saw Lee standing there with a determined Raichu.

"Thanks for saving us, Lee!" Sam said.

"No problem. But let's just get out of this rain!" He said. The other two nodded and followed him out of the forest.

Eventually, the three safely made it to the Pokemon Center and changed into dry clothes after a nice warm shower. After a lecture from Nurse Joy, they sat in a booth and drank hot chocolate. "Sorry I didn't properly introduce myself back there. I'm Lee Fletcher."

"Zinnia Sakaki." She smiled. "Now Sam," She turned towards him. "Would you care to explain to me why you left me in Viridian Forest alone without telling me? I mean, you just sneaked off like a…a Rattata and just completely left me there! What in Mew's name were you even thinking?" She said in an angry tone, but kept her voice low so that she didn't cause a scene.

"See, I found this Pikachu and I just had to catch it-" Sam started to explain.

"Oh really? So a wild Pikachu is more important than my lack of safetly?"

"-for you." Sam finished his sentence.

"What?" She said softly.

"I caught this Pikachu for you." He said and let the Pikachu out of its apricorn ball. The Pikachu emerged and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"This isn't some kind of joke, is it?" She asked.

"Of course not." Sam smiled. "Pikachu, Zinnia will be your trainer from now on, that okay with you?" Pikachu took one look at her and smiled.

"Pika Pika!" It said and jumped in her lap. She hugged the little Pikachu, then accepted the apricorn ball. She put Pikachu down along with the ball and gave Sam a hug.

"Thank you so much Sammy. I'm sorry for yelling at you." She apologized.

"Don't worry about it." He said. "That was a pretty bad move I pulled back there, I should have told you."

"No, you shouldn't have. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate surprises, but this is an exception. I love my new Pikachu."

"I'm glad you like it." Sam smiled. "I always thought that Pikachu was a good starter Pokemon." Zinnia smiled back.

"Me too."

"Touching." Lee smirked. "Very very touching."

"Stop it, Lee." Zinnia warned.

"Okay, okay." He put his hands up in defense. "I was only joking."

"I hate jokes that have no point to them." She said with a deadpanned expression.

"So, Lee, what brings you all the way back here? I would have thought you'd be farther by now on your journey."

"I already collected all of the Kanto badges, the ones from Johto, and Hoenn. I'm taking a break right now and coming back to do some well deserved sightseeing. I rushed through the first time around." Lee explained.

"Wait, you mean you're that Lee Fletcher who came in second place in the Silver Conference? And came so close to defeating the champion?" Zinnia said, her eyes going wide in surprise.

"Yeah, but I'm not the bragging type." Lee smirked.

"But why aren't you out getting the Sinnoh and Unova badges?" Sam asked.

"Because I wanted to take a year or two off."

"One day we're battling. When I'm stronger of course." Sam said.

"And me." Zinnia stated.

"All right, I promise you two a battle, but on one condition."

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"You let me travel around with you two. It's pretty boring going solo." Lee requested.

"Well, I do need another pair of eyes to watch Sammy so he doesn't go running off again…"

"Hey!" Sam said and playfully pushed her arm. "Anyway, before the first gym battle, I want to train Charmander some more."

"And I've got to start training Pikachu." Zinnia added. The three chatted for about another hour before it was time for them to go to bed. "I'll catch up with you two later. I've got to register to be a Pokemon Trainer."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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><p>"Awesome battle, Zinnia." Sam said even though she just lost against him. After all, it was her first Pokemon battle besides some wild Pidgey. She picked up her Pikachu and said it did a good job.<p>

"Thanks, Sammy." She smiled. "I don't think I'm ready to battle any Gym Leaders yet."

"Probably not, but I'm still challenging him later today." Sam said with determination. He had also caught a Pidgey earlier that day that he had been training. It had lost to her Pikachu, but that was understandable because it was a bird type. The three went to the Pokemon Center so Sam could get his Pokemon in tip top shape.

"So what's your strategy going to be?" Lee asked Sam.

"Strategy?" Sam questioned.

"Please, he probably doesn't even know who the gym leader is." Zinnia said with a monotonous voice.

"Seriously?" Lee asked. Sam scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well, the gym leader uses fire type Pokemon. His name's Tyson." He explained.

"All right! I'm off to challenge Tyson!" Sam said with eagerness. Zinnia stopped him by grabbing the back of his shirt.

"Before you challenge him, you might need your Pokemon." She said. Nurse Joy had to stifle a chuckle as she handed him his apricorn ball containing Pidgey. Charmander rushed over to his trainer and laughed at him with an adorable laugh. Zinnia's Pikachu and Lee's Raichu weren't any help because they joined in on the laughter. This caused Chansey to giggle. Raichu was making some jokes that Sam didn't understand, but he knew they were offensive when Charmander pointed at him and laughed harder. Embarrassed and humiliated, Sam walked out of the Pokemon Center.

"Now that was priceless." Lee laughed.

"I know! I so wish I could have understood your Raichu's jokes." She took a breath to stop her laughter. "Okay, now I have to go back to being serious."

"Oh come on, why?" Lee pouted jokingly.

"Because if I'm not, you two would be off in la la land and wouldn't accomplish anything."

"I resent that!" Lee said. "Remember, I already have been on my journey and had major accomplishments." He stated proudly.

"That may be true, but I bet your Pokemon kept you focused." Zinnia said.

"That would be my Tyranitar. Seriously, for a Tyranitar, it uses a lot of logic when I think about it."

"You think?" Zinnia said in a surprised voice.

"You know, I could hurt you." He said, flexing his muscles.

"Ew." She said. "Please don't do that. And I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"True. But if you were a guy, I would have kicked your ass right about now." Lee joked. He turned his attention towards Sam who hadn't said a word since they departed for the gym. "Lighten up, Sam. You've got to admit, that was kind of funny."

"No, it wasn't." He said angrily.

"Calm down, Sammy. Let's just forget about it and pretend it never happened." Zinnia suggested, trying to make her friend feel better. "So, you have a strategy yet?"

"I think I'll just see what happens." Sam shrugged. "If I make up a strategy now, it probably won't work. I have to see how he interacts with his Pokemon, and then make a judgment."

"How philosophical." Lee said.

"I swear you just sounded like a Pokemon Professor."

"Please, my goal is to be a Pokemon Champion and Master. I'm not smart enough to be a Professor, Zinnia."

"Whatever." She shrugged. The three found themselves standing in front of a large building, the Pokemon Gym. It was grey in color, which made Lee a bit confused.

"I could have sworn it was a dark red before…" He said to himself.

"What was that?" Sam asked.

"Oh, nothing." Lee said.

"Okay, then come on!" Sam said and walked into the gym. His friends followed him in.

"Hello, young trainers. Ah, Lee, it's nice to see you're doing well." Tyson smiled. Sam was surprised at his appearance; he was an older man, he reminded him of a grandpa. He thought that the Pewter Gym Leader would have been much younger than sixty. He had a medium length white beard and white hair.

"You too." Lee said. "My friend Sam Oak is here to challenge you for a gym battle."

"Oh, all right. When would you like to battle, Sam?"

"Whenever's good for you!" He said excitedly.

"Is right now okay?"

"You bet! I'm ready!" Sam exclaimed.

"I'm assuming this is your first gym battle, correct?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded and calmed down. The three followed the leader to the battle arena. Tyson stood at one end of the dirt field, while Sam stood at the opposite side. Lee and Zinnia sat in the stands. Pikachu and Raichu shared some Pokemon food as if they were at a ball game. The two Pokemon whispered amongst themselves as the battle started.

"This will be a one on one battle between Tyson, the Gym Leader of Pewter City and the challenger, Samuel Oak from Pallet Town! Begin!" The announcer said and waved his flag.

"Let's go, Growlithe!" Tyson called out. A Growlithe emerged from its apricorn ball and landed on the ground. It called out its own name, probably a battle cry of some sort.

"All right, I choose you, Pidgey!" He called and Pidgey emerged from its ball. It's wings flapped as it stayed in one spot in the air. It, too called out its name. "Sand attack!" He ordered. Pidgey began to send a gust of sand over to Growlithe who, however, was quick to jump it.

"Ember!" Tyson ordered.

"Block it with another sand attack, Pidgey." This time, the sand attack reached the Growlithe.

"Don't let that stop you!" The elderly man called. Growlithe shook it off and managed to stand back up. However, it was obvious it had taken some damage. Sam called out a gust attack. The Growlithe stood its ground as best as it could, but was eventually picked up by the wind. It was slammed into a wall. The old man's commands were quite slow due to his age. He was experienced, but he just wasn't as good as he was a few years back, which disappointed Lee. He remembered a much more animated Tyson.

"Growlithe is unable to battle! Samuel Oak from Pallet Town and Pidgey win!" The referee announced. Sam celebrated with Pidgey for a bit before returning it back into its ball. Charmander ran down from the stands and jumped into his trainer's arms. Tyson approached him slowly, using his cane for balance.

"Congratulations, Sam." He smiled at the young trainer. Zinnia and Lee stood beside Sam.

"Thank you."

"I present you with the Fire Badge." Tyson handed it to him. It was in the shape of a flame on a candle and was a bright orange in color. Sam had to admit, the name for the badge was pretty lame, but he didn't really think someone of Tyson's generation could come up with anything better.

"All right!" Sam said and held the badge in the palm of his hand. He then put it in a case his father had bought for him about a month ago.

"Tyson, is there something wrong? You and Growlithe were much stronger when I battled you two." Lee asked.

"This is not the same Growlithe you battled. Depending on how strong the challenger is, I choose a Pokemon at around the level of his Pokemon to make it a fair battle. However, I am getting quite old and tired. I just don't have it in me to battle anymore, which is why I'm putting the gym up for sale for another gym leader to take over." Tyson explained.

"You mean you're going to retire?" Lee asked.

"Yes, I am. Today's actually my last day. The new gym leader is Brick Harrison, a young man who specializes in Rock type Pokemon."

"Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that you'll be leaving." Lee admitted.

"Ah, well, it's about time I let someone else have a chance at becoming gym leader."

"I guess so." Lee said.

"Zinnia said she had wanted to be a gym leader about a month ago." Sam piped up.

"Did you now?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah I did."

"Not a Pokemon Master like every other one, hmm?" Tyson chuckled.

"Well, I thought about being a gym leader someday, but it's not my goal in life." She said.

"Then what is?" Sam questioned.

"I'm not really sure yet, to be honest."

"Well, you're still young. You have a lot of time to decide what you want to do." Tyson smiled. Zinnia looked down at the Pikachu she was holding in her arms.

"Yeah, I guess so." She agreed.

"Well, it was nice meeting you young people, and nice seeing you again, Lee." The trio said goodbye and headed off to the Pokemon Center to eat a late lunch/early dinner before they went off towards the next route to help Zinnia train for a gym battle. As they were eating, Sam looked at Zinnia.

"When you said you didn't have a goal back there, I know you were lying." He observed.

"Your point?" Zinnia asked.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Sam asked. The boys looked at her, just waiting for an answer.

"I thought I knew what I wanted to do until today." She admitted before taking a sip of her soda. "After I saw your battle and after you got the badge, I thought to myself what is the point? I mean, why does it matter? Sure, you collect eight badges and try to become the champion of the Elite Four, but then what? What happens if you defeat him? Nothing, just a ton of responsibilities. And with that, comes no actual income. Have you seen where the champion lives? It's like a shack!" Zinnia exclaimed. "But once you're the strongest, what do you do?"

"You get to explore the next region and try to become the strongest there." Sam added. Lee nodded, backing him up.

"But then what? What happens if you defeat every gym, trainer, champion? Nothing, that's what. It's just that I don't think I want to run around for the rest of my teen years trying to win badges."

"Then what do you want to do?" Asked Lee.

"Something barely any woman has done before; I will start my own business when I'm older."

"Of what?" Sam asked.

"I'm not really sure, probably something to do with Pokemon. I still have a while to think about it. Something I could make money off of, that's for sure." Zinnia explained.

"You're not ditching us, are you?" Lee asked.

"No, of course not. I will continue to travel with you guys. I just won't be battling for gym badges. The traveling will be good for studying where I should start out and it's good for observing people. Plus, I want to make my Pokemon strong just because I do want to raise Pokemon before I can't do that anymore."

"I think you're just afraid to lose." Sam said.

"If I was afraid to lose, why would I want to risk starting up my own business? Besides, I don't think I'm meant to be the strongest Pokemon trainer ever. I'm meant to do something else." She said.

"Well, good for you." Lee encouraged. "I'm glad that you know what you want to do."

"Thanks, Lee." She smiled.

"I thought we'd be collecting badges together." Sam said with a sad look on his face. "It was going to be fun." Charmander pat his trainer's thigh to try and comfort him.

"I'll still be here rooting for you." She said with a small smile. "It's not like I'm going off on my own, I just won't be getting gym badges."

"Well, okay." Sam said, trying to feel a little better.

"We can go onto the next route and get to Cerulean. It's kind of far away, but don't worry, I'll get you there." She said.

"Okay. Thanks, Zinnia." He said.

"No problem."

"You guys are so gonna end up married someday."

"Ew, no." The twelve year olds said at the same time. First, Lee broke into laughter because of their reaction-both had red faces due to embarrassment. Sam and Zinnia ended up joining in on the laughter because they had to admit, they probably looked kind of funny when they said that at the same exact time.

* * *

><p>I forgot to thank Elmo-Fan club member for the character, Lee Fletcher. Sorry about that!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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><p>Sam stared at the large mountain in front of him. He had heard Mount Moon held many mysteries for scientists for years. He knew that he'd have to travel inside of the mountain in a cave to get to the next route, but he didn't really want to think about that yet. For now, he followed his friends into the Pokemon Center next to the mountain because it was getting dark and it was supposed to rain. Lee thought nothing of it, though. He said that they could keep traveling in the cave until they got tired. However, Zinnia was not really a fan of sleeping on a hard cave floor and complained to him, so Lee gave in to the girl and the three decided on spending the night in the Pokemon Center.<p>

When Sam entered, he began to silently thank Zinnia for her complaints, because he was kind of afraid of the dark and hated the idea of traveling at night. Only his mother truly knew of his fear, and he'd rather keep it that way.

Sam looked down at Charmander whom was having a great time with Pikachu and Raichu as they played around in the Pokemon Center. Zinnia had gone right to a computer to do something with her camera. Sam decided he needed a shower, so he wandered into the bathroom where the showers were located.

Meanwhile, Lee was getting bored just sitting there. He didn't really have anything to do, so he took a seat next to Zinnia at the computer. He watched her in awe how she was able to manipulate the pictures into making them clear. The picture looked oddly familiar, like the one Sam had drawn. So, curiosity getting the best of him, he decided he'd ask. "What is that a picture of?"

"Oh, just two huge bird Pokemon Sam and I saw a few nights before we met you." She replied, not taking her eyes off of her computer.

"Sam drew a picture of that. I didn't believe it when I saw it, back in Viridian Forest, but I guess those myths are true." Lee said more to himself. Zinnia nodded.

"But I don't know what they are. The more I clear up the photo, the more familiar these bird Pokemon look." Zinnia said.

"I think it's because those look like the legendary ones, Ho-Oh and Lugia." Lee observed.

"You're right!" Zinnia exclaimed after a moment until it clicked in her head. "I wonder how much money these pictures would bring!"

"I think you should keep it to yourself. I mean, those two chose you two for you to see them for a reason I think. And if the myth is true, then…"

"Then what?" Sam piped up and startled Lee and Zinnia. Lee jumped a bit, but only Zinnia's shoulder flinched. She did hate surprises, but she wasn't startled easily.

"Then," Lee began to continue, "I wouldn't go around bragging about it. They chose you for a reason. One of you attracted Ho-Oh, which means one of you has a golden heart, and one of you attracted Lugia, meaning one of you has a soul of silver. But one of you can't have both, if the myth is correct." Lee tried to explain it from memory. His father had studied Pokemon Mythology in college and minored in it, so he knew of Pokemon myths.

"So which one of us has the gold heart and which one has a silver soul?" Sam asked, completely intrigued by the whole thing. Lee shrugged.

"There's no way to tell unless one of you sees a certain one alone, if that makes any sense." Lee said.

"It does." Zinnia said. "But I just think that we just got lucky to see them. Odds are, the myth isn't true at all."

"But we saw them!" Sam argued. "How could the myth not be true?" His voice rose a bit.

"Because," Zinnia started, "Myths aren't true, like Greek Mythology. Those myths were proven wrong, so what makes you think this one's right? And besides, what are the odds you and me from the same small town in Kanto would be special?"

"She does have a point." Lee said. "But in this day and age, what can we believe? I mean, I bet twenty years ago no one would have thought you could put Pokemon in Apricorns." Sam sighed, admitting that his friends were most likely right. He just happened to be lucky, that was all. Believing in something without facts backing it up made it difficult to believe, too.

"Come on, let's get to bed." Zinnia said, shutting down the computer. "Nurse Joy doesn't seem too happy that we're still awake."

"Right." Sam nodded and the Pokemon followed their trainers into a room that contained two sets of bunk beds. Sam looked out the window as he tried to drift off to sleep. When he looked, he saw Ho-Oh, and he smiled; he knew he had the heart of gold. He looked over to Zinnia who had also been looking out the window, a different one. He watched her rub her eyes in disbelief. He saw her mouth the word Lugia before he fell fast asleep, glad that the myth had proved itself to both of them that night.

The next morning, Sam was awakened by Charmander. He saw that Lee and Zinnia had already woken up. "Hey Charmander." He said sleepily. He had noticed that since he had battled some trainers on his way to Mount Moon, Charmander's flame on its tail had grown larger. Maybe it would evolve soon. He smiled at the thought of having a Charmeleon.

After getting ready for the day, he met the others sitting and eating breakfast. He joined them and ate heartily, remembering that he hadn't eaten anything the night before. "Why hello there sleepy head." Zinnia said before she took a bite of her apple. Sam always wondered how she could eat an apple for breakfast and not be hungry until lunch time. He knew she must sneak in some food during their travels. "So once we get to Cerulean City, how are you going to beat the gym?" She asked.

"I'm not really sure." Sam said, thinking about Pidgey and Charmander. How in the world would he defeat the water type gym with these Pokemon? They were strong ones, but he knew that he needed some type of advantage to defeat the Cerulean gym.

"Maybe you can capture a Pokemon?" Lee suggested.

"I'd rather not. I don't want to get all six of my Pokemon at once." Sam replied.

"Yeah, you're right. You should really just train Pidgey for a while." Lee said.

"Good idea. I'll use Pidgey to battle Pokemon trainers if I come across them or something." Sam said.

"Well, it's time to go guys!" Zinnia said and stood up with Pikachu on her shoulder. Those two really did have a deep bond, probably deeper than he and Charmander. He was glad she really cared for the Pikachu he had given her. It was the perfect Pokemon for her.

"Let's go!" Sam exclaimed. The three left the Pokemon Center and headed off towards Mount Moon. When they arrived, the three stared at the cave that they'd be entering.

"Do you remember your way around here?" Zinnia asked Lee. She didn't have a map for this, and she hadn't found one at the Pokemon Center.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Lee said with some confidence. "Last time, I bumped into the Cerulean Gym Leader and he led me through here."

"Let's go!" Sam said, pretending not to be afraid. He walked into the cave with his friends following him. Lee took the lead once Zinnia pointed out that Sam didn't know where he was going. All of a sudden, Lee stopped abruptly. "What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"It looks different…" Lee said. Zinnia squatted down to use Charmander's flame as a source of light. She looked in a guidebook she had bought at the Pokemon Center that morning, but she didn't have a chance to look at it yet. She flipped through the pages until something caught her eye.

"It says here that because of rockslides, Mount Moon seems to be getting smaller as time goes on." She read.

"Funny, it looks pretty big to me." Sam said.

"Now that I think about it, there was more open space a few years ago." Lee observed.

"How are we going to get through here?" Sam asked.

"Well, wandering seems to be the only option we have…" Zinnia said. She continued to read her guide as they walked and Pikachu looked at the pictures on it over her shoulder. "It says here that Clefairy can be spotted here, but only at night."

"Awesome." Sam said, thinking about one of those Pokemon. He would never want one though, but those were some pretty rare Pokemon.

"How are we going to get through here?" Zinnia asked out loud, more to herself than the others. There was no official map in her guide which angered her. She hated mindlessly wandering around, especially in caves. She just hated the whole atmosphere they brought.

"I'll just follow my gut!" Lee said. "Just follow me and we'll get out of here eventually." Zinnia looked over at Sam and shrugged, then followed Lee.

"I don't really like the looks of this, Charmander." Sam said.

"Char…" Charmander looked a bit nervous, but walked next to Sam anyway. Sam was beginning to really hate Mount Moon as they got deeper and deeper into the cave that seemed to have an endless amount of pathways.

"Lee, where are we?" Zinnia finally spoke up. Sam was thankful the girl wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"Not sure." He said and continued to walk through the cave.

"I think we're going in circles!" Zinnia yelled.

"What makes you think that?" Sam was thankful that Lee could stay calm despite being yelled at. He couldn't take the two having a shouting match in a cave where it echoed.

"Because we keep passing that one rock!"

"How can you tell it's different from the others?" Lee spat. The two were now fighting. Even Pikachu and Raichu were fighting alongside their trainers to back the other up. They had stopped walking, and a fight began. Sam and Charmander were desperately trying to tune them out by covering their ears with their hands.

"Char?" Charmander had noticed something move behind one of the rocks. Sam tilted his head to see what his Pokemon friend had spotted. He saw that it was a little Paras, and it was afraid of all the yelling. Sam decided to approach it to assure that the two people were just loud.

"Hey little guy." He said to the timid Paras once he crouched down to its height. "Don't be scared. Those two are just kind of loud people. They won't harm you." He said. The Paras looked at him nervously, but eventually came out from behind the rock. It came and sniffed him and Charmander. Sam reached into his bag and took out a few pieces of Pokemon food. The Paras happily ate it, seemingly not afraid of the yelling anymore. "We just got lost in this cave because we don't know our way out of here." The Paras began making some noises, as if it was trying to communicate with him. "Does it want us to follow it, Charmander?" He asked.

"Mander!" Charmander exclaimed and began to follow the bug type.

"Hey guys, this Paras is going to show us the way out of here!" Sam said. "Now stop yelling and follow us!"

"A Paras?" Zinnia questioned.

"Yeah, now let's go and get out of here!" Sam said and gestured them to follow. Lee and Zinnia looked at each other, then ran after them, Pikachu and Raichu hitching a ride on their trainers.

"Lee, you were so far off course." Zinnia smirked at the older boy.

"I didn't see you trying too hard." Lee said and managed to make Zinnia giggle a bit, but once she realized what she was doing, she blushed and ran past him. Lee smiled to himself and picked up the pace as well.

When Sam saw the light at the end, he cheered. They had successfully gone through the cave with the help of Paras. "Thank you so much, Paras!" He said. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"Yeah, thanks so much!" Zinnia said and pat it on the head.

"Thanks little dude." Lee said and gave it thumbs up.

"Hope we see you again." Sam said and they began to walk away from the Paras. The Paras had tears forming in its eyes as it watched Sam and Charmander walk away. It ran up to Sam and began to tug on his shoe, making him stop. "What do you want?" He asked with concern. "Did you want more food?" The Paras shook its head.

"I think it likes you, Sammy." Zinnia noticed.

"You do?" Sam asked, and the Paras nodded vigorously. "You want to travel with me?" The Paras cheered in happiness and hopped right into the Apricorn ball that Sam had taken out. He held it in his hand and smiled. He didn't think that he'd catch another Pokemon so soon, or that it would be a Paras, but he was glad that he caught the mushroom Pokemon. He smiled to himself and realized he actually had a chance at defeating the next gym.


End file.
